Former Bolshoi ballerina Anastasia Volochkova lodged on Wednesday an appeal

Former Bolshoi ballerina Anastasia Volochkova lodged on Wednesday an appeal with a court in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi against a decision to bar her from running in the city's mayoral elections.

"Anastasia Volochkova has asked the court to rule the decision made by the city election committee illegal and register her as a candidate for mayor," a court official told RIA Novosti.

The city is set to receive billions of dollars in government funds as it prepares to host the 2014 Winter Olympics and the race to become mayor has attracted unprecedented attention, with several prominent politicians and businessmen campaigning.